Working for a better economy, better governance and a better society
Land-use lessons from Houston
Hawaii isn’t the only place experiencing a lack of housing. That’s an affliction we share with many metropolitan areas across the nation, such as San Francisco and New York City. Hawaii politicians have explored a variety of possible solutions to the problem, such...
People are the solution, not the problem
After the great success of the “Avengers” movies, the internet was full of people explaining that Thanos, the villain of the series, had a point. For those of you who have managed to escape the omnipresence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos was a powerful alien...
‘Affordable in perpetuity’ chokes Maui housing supply
This commentary was originally published Sept. 10, 2019, in The Maui News. Maui County residents have long suffered from a lack of affordable housing, but county officials have continually denied permits to home developers who won’t promise that the units they build...
No place like home, if you can find one
It is universally acknowledged that Hawaii residents need more homes. So why is it so hard to build them?When you ask people about their frustrations with the cost of living in Hawaii, high home prices and rental rates are among the first things mentioned. It’s a...
Testimony on SB 1 — Relating to Housing
This testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii to the Hawaii House Committee on Housing on March 14, 2019. RE: SB 1 — RELATING TO HOUSING Comments Only Dear Chair and Committee Members: The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii would like to offer its...
Relax Maui zoning to allow more urban dwellings
For many Maui families, purchasing a home is a pipe dream. However, there may be an opportunity for them to realize that dream, if county residents would be open to reforming local housing regulations. Maui’s complex zoning laws act as a barrier to homebuilding,...
Leasehold state housing won’t solve housing crisis
The Hawaii Legislature is considering forming a new state agency that would build high-rise condominium units on state land that it would sell for about $300,000 each under 99-year leases. But the proposal, called ALOHA Homes, would not be the answer to Hawaii’s...
More housing would boost Maui tax revenues
As Maui County lawmakers search under the couch cushions for loose change that would help them meet their budgetary goals, they should remember that finding extra cash could be easy, if they would only step out of the way of island homebuilders. That’s right:...
Building more suburbs could help millennials stay in Hawaii
Hawaii policymakers might not have noticed, but millennials across the country are moving to the suburbs, where housing is less expensive. Not surprisingly, those suburbs generally are not in Hawaii, so if we want to make it possible for our own younger generation to...